MEN'S BASKETBALL DOWNED BY FRAMINGHAM STATE
BRISTOL, R.I.— In the consolation game of the Courtyard by Marriott Tip-Off tournament, Framingham State University defeated Emmanuel College 74-62 before the championship game. Host Roger Williams won the tournament championship Saturday over the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by a 70-59 score.
November 18, 2017
BRISTOL, R.I.— In the consolation game of the Courtyard by Marriott Tip-Off tournament, Framingham State University defeated Emmanuel College 74-62 before the championship game. Host Roger Williams won the tournament championship Saturday over the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by a 70-59 score.
In the consolation game, The Saints and Rams were both looking for their first win of the season after falling to their respective opponents Friday.
It took almost a minute for either team to score, but Emmanuel got on the board first with a jump shot by Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.). The Rams came right back with a three-pointer by Manny Payton (Fitchburg, Mass.).
Emmanuel put the pressure on early with a full court press into a zone defense. Tyri Hampton (Fitchburg, Mass.) took advantage of the holes in their first possession against the zone and drained a three for the Rams.
Turnovers hurt the Saints early in the first half and forced them to take a timeout within the first five minutes.
Zachary Crisafulli (Hatfield, Mass.) entered the game and made an immediate impact for the Saints. He grabbed four quick points which cut their deficit to four.
Emmanuel had trouble keeping a handle on the ball throughout the first half. A loose ball was picked up off an Evan Santos (Marion, Mass.) miss and grabbed by Payton, whom swished it and extended FSU's lead to double digits with just over eight minutes left in the half.
The Saints found a rhythm and pulled within three with just under six minutes left. Emmanuel tried to gain the lead in the late minutes of the half, but the Rams kept scoring in response to the Saints' baskets. The Rams secured a 33-27 lead over the Saints heading into halftime.
Payton led all scorers with 16 points at the half and was two for two behind the arc. Four Rams had two rebounds each. Charles Valbrun (Hyde Park, Mass.) had three dimes and two steals for the Rams. Crisafulli led the Saints with six points at half. Isaiah Ruffen (Haverhill, Mass.), in 10 minutes, pulled down four defensive rebounds.
Both teams started the second half with two turnovers each. The Saints struck first on the scoreboard, however. David Albanese (Brookfeild, Conn.) grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for the Saints' 29th point. Albanese found his way around big man, 6-foot-6 Valbrun, low in the paint.
Both teams became more aggressive driving to the hoop in the second half, resulting in an increase in fouls and free throws. The Rams established another double-digit lead midway through the second half. The Saints desperately tried to grab a lead in the late minutes, but were unable to gain momentum.
Tempers ran high in the last minute. Ruffen grabbed Ben Roache's (Dighton, Mass.) jersey which prompted an international foul called on him.
The final score was 74-62 Rams over Saints.
Payton had a game for the Rams. He scored 31 points in the win, pulled down seven rebounds, had a field goal shooting percentage of 65% and was four for seven in three-point attempts. Hampton and Roache followed Payton with 10 points each.
Crisafulli led the Saints with 14 points and a field goal percentage of 75%. He also had two steals on the day. Ruffen grabbed 11 rebounds, eight being defensive. Riddick racked up four assists.
Payton and Joe Tamburro (South Winsdor, Conn.) were named All-Tournament.
The Rams (1-2) travel to Regis College on Tuesday and the Saints (0-2) look to pick up their first win at Curry College on Tuesday.
Emmanuel - #4 Joe Tamburro
Framingham State -#2 Manny Payton
RPI - #34 Andreas Kontopidis
RWU - #23 Austin Coene
Tournament MVP – RWU #20 Jaylen Jennings
Tournament Champions – Roger Williams University
*RELEASE PROVIDED COURTESY OF ROGER WILLIAMS SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE